Advanced Directives

What is an advance medical directive?

It is a legal document that allows you to name someone you know and trust to make your health care decisions, if, for any reason and at any time, you become unable to make or communicate those decisions. This person is referred to as your "Health Care Agent."

Types of advance medical directives:

Health care proxy allows you to name someone you know and trust to be your agent and to make health care decisions for you. It can be completed without an attorney or notary.

Durable power of attorney designates a person to act in your behalf to make financial as well as medical decisions. This must be notarized.

Who can make out a health care proxy?

Any competent adult 18 years of age or over.

When should I complete a health care proxy?

Now. If you become unable to make decisions, your friends, family and health care providers should understand your choices.

Who can I name as my agent on a proxy?

A close family member or friend that will be available to communicate with your caregivers. This person can not be an employee, administrator, or operator of a facility such as a hospital or nursing home where you are a patient, unless that person is also related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption.

What should I do with the completed proxy?

Keep the original where it can be easily found (not in a safe deposit box).

Give copies of the completed proxy to:

Your physician

Your agent (a family member or close friend) and to an alternate if he or she is not available

Other close friends or family members

When is my proxy revoked?

When you make out another one.

If your spouse is your agent and you divorce or legally separate.

When you notify your agent or physician, orally or in writing, that you want to revoke it.

When you do anything that clearly shows that you want to revoke it, i.e., tear it up, destroy it, cross it out, tell other people that it is no longer valid.

What can my health care agent do?

Make decisions about your health care only when you can't.

Consent to or refuse any medical treatment.

Get any medical information necessary to make informed decisions for you.

Things to talk about with your agent:

You should be sure that he or she knows what is important to you.You should tell your agent your beliefs and wishes regarding:

Where you want to be cared for

What caretakers you want

Your family involvement

Your religious beliefs

Financial concerns

When or when not to prolong your life

Pain or suffering

Organ donations

You should let your agent know your feelings about certain forms of medical treatments, such as:

Life-sustaining treatment

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

The use of intravenous therapy and/or feeding tubes to administer food, water or medicine

Breathing machines

Kidney dialysis

When can my agent make decisions for me?

When your physician decides, in writing, that you are unable to make decisions about your health care, and after fully considering all medical information about your condition.

When you are admitted to South Shore Hospital, you will be asked:

If you have a health care proxy

If you want information about the proxy

If you want to complete a proxy

If you have completed a health care proxy, you should bring a copy of it to the hospital. It will be placed in your hospital record. If you have made changes to your proxy, you should bring the new copy.

Where can I get a health care proxy form?

South Shore Hospital's Admitting Department at 781-624-8216.

Download a copy. You can download a health care proxy form right now in Adobe Acrobat Reader format, together with instructions for filling out the forms. If you do not have Acrobat, you can download it for free at Adobe.com. Health Care Proxy Form (Print it after it appears).